Stephen Doe
Stephen Doe, or Steve as he is called by family and friends, is a character in the Return to the Temple series, and specifically is the protagonist of the first book, Journey to Fire's Keep. He lived near childhood friend Angelo Villalobos until the decimation of Springsboro, after which point he initiates the titular journey. __TOC__ Story ''Journey to Fire's Keep'' Stephen had lived in Springsboro all his life; even after his parents passed and his brother John Doe moved to nearby Chartreuse, he chose to remain in his childhood home. Stephen first appears at the very beginning of the first book, as Angelo inadvertently brakes his bedroom window, startling him awake. While he has been living alone for some time, he appears to keep his house relatively tidy, save for a small crystal collection on his bedroom windowsill. After scolding Angelo, his friend asks if he would like to join him in an inaugural hunt with his new sword, to which he agrees. While they are in the surrounding forest, Asmodeious Bruté burns down the village in search of a missing artifact, the very "rock" with which Angelo had broken Stephen's window. When the pair returns to find their hometown razed, Stephen notes that a mysterious "storm" had appeared and retreated back the same direction, and suggests they follow it as their only lead. Angelo agrees to this. As the pair travels through Emerald Forest, Stephen senses they're being watched. Unnerved by this feeling, he convinces Angelo to join him in a stop-over in Chartreuse to visit his brother John. After explaining the situation, John insists he join the party. The following day, John leads the trio to Topaz City, where they spend the night in a run-down inn and board an airplane to Flood City at John's command. This plane crashes into the ocean, brought down by Diablo Villalobos' internal-sown suspicion that the trio was planning on attacking the Revered. All three survive, but the pilot perishes. Stephen washes up on Cibola Beach, an extension of Flood City, with Angelo and John. They accidentally run into Justin Bailey here, who recognizes Stephen from his dreams and demands Stephen take him on as a student of magic. Stephen initially refuses, citing a known lack of magical ability; however, after explaining the situation and Justin's immediate knowledge of what might be happening, he accepts on the condition that Justin can provide them with some assistance. After a night of explanations regarding the Revered followed by restless dreams in Justin's basement, the troupe sets off for Monsoon City, Justin's hometown and supposed site of his helpful belongings. Justin feels a side trip to River City's ruins is the best approach, to see if they might find some further information on what they might be up against, citing the Revered's general lack of interference in regular worldly affairs as evidence that they may only be a front; Stephen, however, having heard the explanation from the night before, is certain their goal lies at Feuerschloss, a castle detailed on an ancient map as the new location of the Revered of Fire; he sees the proposed side trip as a waste of time that could be used to get to their goal. After a brief run-in with Mickey Rescigno outside his rented home, Justin concedes Stephen's point and agrees to follow them to Feuerschloss. The following morning, the group leaves the city towards the mountains to the east. The Revered, having been put on high alert by Diablo's story, forcefully brings them in for an Interrogation. Stephen reluctantly cooperates with this, still not certain who exactly is responsible for Springsboro's destruction and not wishing to draw any more attention to himself or his actions. They are dropped off within easy walking distance of their destination, which he sees as an incredible boon. Upon arriving at Feuerschloss, the group splits up, with Stephen taking the upstairs areas. After stumbling upon Diablo's Clairvoyance Cauldron, he encounters Asmodeious on the roof of the building. After much posturing by both sides, during which Asmodeious confirms that he did, in fact, raze Springsboro, Stephen approaches the figure only to be shot in the back by his brother John. With his dying breath, he nullifies Asmodeious' spell by reducing the necessary artifact to a useless hunk of glass. Profile Stephen's interests are largely related to magic in some way or other. He states to Justin that he wished to be a wizard growing up, but it was determined he lacked any magical abilities whatsoever. In spite of this, he carried on an intense interest in ancient civilizations, likely due to the strong uses of magic to establish initial settlements. Even the crystals on his windowsill at home are a nod to this allure. His personality is one based on strong emotional bonds with those around him, coupled with an innate sense of duty. In Springsboro's destruction, he very likely had the least to lose from such an event; however, his thoughts on those around him who had seemingly meaninglessly lost their lives, he leads the charge on Feuerschloss. While Stephen indeed does not possess any magical capabilities, he does possess a latent psychic power. This manifests itself in a few ways, almost all accidental. When Springsboro is burned down, the pane of glass Angelo broke earlier that morning is the one piece of rubble remaining intact. His dreams, whenever he remembers them, always portend something, and are often inclusive of those involved, meaning he "shares" the dreams with those in them without necessarily intending to. He's the only member of the party capable of sensing Diablo's cauldron spying on them. Finally, by putting the last of his strength into it, he is capable of transmuting Asmodeious' tooth into glass. Stephen's friendly openness, genuine joviality, and personal policy of non-judgement make him the natural leader of the expedition to Feuerschloss. Additionally, as Angelo's best friend, John's brother, and Justin's professed tutor, he is the only individual in the group with ties to every other traveler. Even so, he does not consider himself as such; rather, he recognizes his necessity in the journey as the uniting force, and leaves it at that. Unlike Angelo, Stephen does not experience any undue guilt for the lives of those who perished throughout the story; he does, however, feel personally responsible for carrying out their vengeance, a feeling that grows with each new casualty. Category:Characters